Long term thinking

With the weeks of rainy weather here, I need to start considering that the 20 Mule Team 100 mile endurance ride I wanted to do may not happen. 

 

One of the issues with the amount of rain have received, is that the facilities are simply not equipped for it.  This is the most rain the region I'm living in has received in 13 years...Yes, the paddocks and shelters could be constructed to drain better.  Yes, the facilities, arena, etc could be constructed to be rideable in this weather.  Unfortunately because this is such a rare occurrence, they aren't.  If we got this type of weather all the time or every year, I would be out there in Farley's shelter with a shovel, grading in dry weather  etc.  But we don't, so I'm stuck playing catch up. 

• When I have my own place, I will construct my pastures and shelter areas to be usable in this sort of weather.  It may not be up to northern swamp standards, but it will be bearable! 

My lesson this week has been officially cancelled.  Which is incredible as she has us ride through all sorts of weather.  But, her arena is underwater and she would normally have us ride on the grass in that case.....but that is underwater too.  And there's the small fact that it takes 4 wheel drive to even get in the driveway at this point. 

 

The trails in the area are also not constructed with this amount of rain in mind so even if I did trailer out, it's going to take a couple of weeks for the trails to recover. 

 

So what does this all add up to? 

 

With 20 mule team on 2/27/10, officially 33 days away, I should be doing the majority of my conditioning right now - 2-4 weeks prior to the ride.  I just don't know if everything will dry out in time.  It's suppose to clear up a bit on Saturday, and then another week of rain. 

 

Part of me says that 20 Mule Team is my best bet to finish a 100 this year.  The other little voice says not to push - pushing will only get me to my first 100 completion slower while I battle injuries and regret. 

 

So I'm looking for advice

• At this point, she has had 1 week off.  We are looking at another 1-2 weeks off or limited riding (straight lines, level, slow). 
• Assuming I get 1-2 good conditioning rides in the first 2 weeks of February and she feels 100% (ie - those funny steps she took a week ago do not reappear). 
• She did a 50 mile at the beginning of November (and felt 100% afterwards)
• She did a 55 mile ride with similar footing to 20 Mule team at the end of November (and felt 100% afterwards)
• It will be 3 months between her last 50/55 and 20 Mule team
• She was ridden regularly and was in top shape as of 2 weeks ago.

Does she have enough fitness to carry over?  Should I go?  Or do you have a bad feeling about this and would advise me to stay home?  Please be honest! 

 

I'm often surprised how well her fitness maintains with very little riding, but I've also had enough injuries, I've learned not to push too hard.  1-2 weeks seems a LONG time to not be riding, but in reality I've often given her a week off before a ride with no problem.  It just feels worse this time because I'm at home waiting to ride and waiting to ride and waiting to ride....

A tale of woe

When I went out to the stable this afternoon, my darling little horsey (Farley, for those of you who have just finished one of my posts where I rant and rave about how such a witch she is....who has now redeemed herself through her cuteness and cheerful greetings as I walk through the gate) was standing in 6 inches of water. 

 

This is unacceptable.

 

Her pen is mostly under water, which I accept because her shelter has stayed dry. 

 

I checked her shelter.

 

Shelter is starting to get muddy.  Pen has just teetered over the balance point to unacceptable. 

 

I threw Farley out in the turnout pasture (where she frolicked and bucked and ran, much to my dismay and secret enjoyment) and set to work. 

 

The pen I selected was ~50% underwater and 50% soon to be mud.  Better.  The shelter was a giant puddle.  Not good.

 

Time to get a shovel.

• Fact 1:  I must first establish that I am no stranger to a shovel.  My parents made sure of that!  I have toiled many an hour away in my childhood moving dirt from one place.....to another without any clear idea of what I was accomplishing. 
• Fact 2:  I have degrees that are suppose to guarantee that I do not need to perform manual labor in order to support my self.  (I will point out that I did MANY hours of manual labor through school to GET the degree, so trust me, my dues have been paid.)
• Fact 3:  I want to ride in 100 mile races when I am 90.  To facilitate such a goal I am very protective of my back.  No more bucking bails or carrying 50 pound salt blocks to me!  I've invested in lots of carts and other devices to do my work for me.

....which is why, standing in her new pen, shovel in hand, I am pondering the irony of protecting my back, in order to do shovel work.  Because if ANYTHING is not good for the back, it is shovel work. 

 

Especially shovel work with a sub-par shovel. 

 

As I live in a 1 bedroom (second story) apartment with no garage and only those tools that fit in my truck tool box, do you think I own a shovel?  No.  I do not.  So I had to use the boarding barn shovels.  I had a selection including: broken handles, split spades, and lastly - a flat bottomed shovel with a intact handle.  What the HECK do you do with a flat bottomed shovel besides scrapping cow manure off a cement floor? 

 

You do not fill low spots or dig drainage. 

 

I set to work, and after an hour, the shelter was wet and muddy, but was no longer a puddle.  I decided to work on it over the next couple of days.  Clean mud (this pen has been empty for a while) is better than the water and manure slurry her last pen was. 

 

And this is where the tale of woe concludes.

 

After painstakingly finding high spots and filling the big puddle in the shelter, it was relatively dry.  I dragged a water container over to fill.  After some thought, I decided to place the water container just under the shelter, where it would be protected from the sun and algae formation in the summer.  I turned the hose on.

 

And you can guess what happened.

 

I went to get Farley out of turnout and completely forgot about it.....

 

I came back to the sight of the water container overfilling...into the shelter, on top of my (up until this point relatively dry) efforts at filling the hole. 

 

Oh well.

 

Intention and effort counts for everything right?

 

Who are you when it rains?

In the spirit of learning to love the rain again, I present the first of my "rainy" day topics....

 

Remember rainy day schedules at school?  Where instead of going out to the playground, you were forced to sit in a classroom at lunch, to the consternation of the teachers!  On sunny days I was active - screaming, shouting, hanging on the monkey bars - type of active.  But that changed on rainy day schedules.  On rainy day schedules, I would find a quiet corner and curl up with a book. 

 

So what happens now as an adult?  Who do you turn into when it rains?

 

On non-rainy days, I describe myself as a horseperson, who runs and does some knitting in the evenings to relax. 

 

Rain effectively removes my horse part of my life, and to a lesser degree, my running.  I don't feel like knitting anymore because I'm not tired.  So what do I do?

• I come home and put on a music CD.  While in my normal life I crave silence because I'm so busy, a good LOUD bluegrass CD is just what I need on a rainy afternoon.
• I cook.  I cook a LOT.  And I enjoy it.
• I practice my fiddle.  Apparently my fiddle is one of those things, that although I love dearly, I will NOT practice unless I'm on the verge of being bored.  Not tired enough to knit or read, but don't feel like diving into another project either - that is the perfect mood for practicing the fiddle.  And this is the perfect illustration of why I do NOT have internet at home.  If I did, I would waste time there instead of getting bored enough to practice!

So I've decided that instead of stewing on what I can't do while it rains CONSTANTLY, I can embrace my "alternate" life! 

 

What are you normally and does that change when it rains?

But l live in CA!

Yes, I know you have heard this refrain before... But you have to admit that I should get something for my higher taxes and intrusive government, and inability to find a decent pasture to board in. That's right- I deserve decent weather. It's my right as a pampered Californian. Give us a little credit here-we are not used to having this sort of swamp wearther that you northern Folks enjoy most of the year, I'm simply not prepared. By the time I DO remember that vortex jacket and silk underware to go out to the stable, I've been wet and cold and shivery and all around miserable for three days.

I used love the rain-before I had horses. I was even ok with it. Before I was paying attention and trying to do the barefoot thing for "real". Now I worry that feet are going to hell in the mud.

*sigh*

Six more weeks of winter and then I can continue with my regular programming. In the meantime I am going to make an effort to remember why I loved rain so much as a child.

Remember rainy day schedule?

And cozy clothes?

And the opportunity to snuggle with a good book and cuddle with a hot cookie and homemade hot chocolate?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod

God's timing is perfect

Warning!  Semi-Religious post! 

 

I'm probably going to offend a lot of people and some of you may be turned off permanently because I've posted something about *God*, but darn it!  It's my blog!  and this is the post I want to write today!  So let's all be nice and realize that being a Christian is part of who I am, and I'm going to write about it, because it's relevant to my horsey life right now.   

 

Whew.  I feel better already.

 

And really, I keep saying that I don't care whether I have readers or not so why not go for it?

 

God's timing is perfect.  That has been the overwhelming theme in my bible studies and reading lately.  (Focus has been on the David and Abigail story).  And as the Farley story continues to unfold, I just have to smile, and yes, giggle at how perfectly everything has worked out. 

• Minx went lame, and the the least likely person to tell me to get another horse, told me to get another horse.
• I found Farley, who is such a wonderful horse, I feel like I don't deserve her
• 3 weeks after I bought Farley, she was lame and Minx was rideable again.
• Farley became rideable and Minx became on and off again lame
• I had 2 sound horses for exactly 3 weeks and then Minx died, just as I was reaching the breaking point of how to manage riding 2 sound horses.
• Farley and I had a very successful endurance season.
• Two weeks ago, my aunt and I discuss it, and realize we are both doing the Bar S ride, just so we can visit and ride together.  We decide to save money by riding at her ranch instead.
• I notice Farley is intermittently NQR in the hind end while being ridden on the bit.

So how is this perfect?  Let me explain.  If I was doing Bar S, I would have 2 weeks until the ride.  Right now I would be agonizing over whether to go or not, instead of focusing on the real issue - Farley's well being.  It would have complicated things.  Now, because of "how things worked out", I can give her 2 weeks of easy without the stress of preparing or deciding whether we should go for a ride.  If everything goes well, I will have a long, hilly, multiple day training ride with my aunt, which should give me an idea of whether or not to continue to plan for a 100 at the end of February.  I have plenty of time to think, evaluate, ask Farley her opinion, and see the vet - multiple time - if necessary. 

 

You see?  Perfection. 

 

And I am sad about giving Farley time off in the dreariest part of the winter?  Ummmm....not at all!  I should get a gold start for dragging myself out of bed after getting *only* 11 hours of sleep this time of year.  It will be kind of nice to have a riding holiday to enjoy winter - in bed with a heater and either knitting or a good book - for a couple weeks.

 

 

Darn it not being able to comment! 

Mobile internet device coming soon...just trying to pick from the options Funder gave me!  Whew!  I've been out of the market a long time.  I like the look of the Archros Android.  I want a device that does internet and e-mail, but NOT a phone...although I may change my mind depending on what work tells me about their reimbursement program.  I found home internet and WiFi access through ATT for $20/month which was what I wanted to pay.  The plus side is that with the Archos 5, I wouldn't have to upgrade my computer for at least another 2-3 years!  I love my MacBook, but at 5 years old, it's a bit creaky on the 'net.  However it does just fine running my applications, so it would work out perfectly to have a separate media device. 

 

Heather - I called and made an appointment for her teeth floating in February today (Thursday).....and told the receptionist I was being a ditz and couldn't remember what else I wanted to ask her....Ha!  I'll call them on Monday after I ride her on Sunday (this will be her first easy ride back) and see what they have to say, depending on the results of the time off/bute.  They've worked with me long enough that there is a relationship there.  Since I've decided that I'm won't take her in before Monday, it makes sense to call then, and I'll have more information for them - whether or not it returned after time off etc.  Thanks for the reminder!

 

Thank you everyone for your support!  I really do feel positive about the whole thing.  I won't start to really worry unless it comes back.  After all, we all have our NQR days, and one incident of NQR-ness isn't necessarily a huge cause for concern. 

 

AareneX - Good point about my chiropractic issues.  I haven't been in ~10 years and haven't had any problems since, BUT  I DO notice that if I don't keep up on my pilates and stay flexible, then Farley feels more stiff.  I've been slacking lately, so maybe I need to be more diligent in that area. 

 

Action (or rather non-action!) Plan

Typically after I've decided one of my horses is NQR, or has an apparent injury, I go through the same stages.

• Panic mode, cannot think rationally, feel like throwing up. (I know, dramatic. I allow my self exactly 30-60 seconds to feel this way, and then get my head screwed on straight).
• Rationalizing. This is the "how did it happen" stage. Again, I've whittled this down to 30 minutes or less during the first couple of days. I try to move this further down the process where it's actually useful to analyze what went wrong and whether there's a preventative.
• Self doubt - maybe I didn't feel what I thought I felt? Maybe it's not that bad? This can last a couple of hours, or at least until I get on the Internet and hear a bunch of horror stories. This when I start considering whether to get the vet involved.
• Overdrive - by now I have heard the horror stories, I'm imagining worse case scenario, AND I'm feeling guilty because I cannot/will not afford to throw every diagnostic tool available at the problem.

And now we come to the crux of every horse owner's life. When to bring in the vet and how much to pay?

Because, let's face it - at least in my life - I have a finite amount of money and resources.

Some might say that if you can't afford a vet for medical issues you can't afford a horse.

Whenever I'm faced with a situation where I'm trying to decide whether a vet visit is warranted, I cringe, thinking someone is going to throw this statement at me. Because I AM willing to spend the money - if my horse is colicking, I call the vet. Period. I don't mess around, I do not give it banamine, I call the vet. If I suspect a bowed tendon or suspensory problem, I call the vet. I want to get a base line on it as fast as possible.

But there are other areas that are grey. Grey Areas that I don't necessarily think that a vet call is always warranted. Sure, it would be nice, but I don't think being able to "afford" a vet, involves calling it out for every issue. On the flip side, I don't think you have to be able to afford colic surgery or stem cell transplants to be a responsible horse owner.

It's a fine line to walk between calling the vet early while the issue is small and manageable (and affordable!), and not wasting your money on issues that area that will resolve on their own.

In my opinion, being able to afford a horse, and a medical bills associated, means: (and this is deeply personal so I realize every one's list is going to look a bit different)

• Being able to pay for a horse being euthanized and the body disposed.
• Being able to pay for traumatic injury such as stitches, antibiotics
• Being able to pay for initial colic evaluation and treatment, including fluids if necessary
• Being able to pay for a lameness exam for a horse that is habitually lame, or a grade 2 or worse.
• Vaccinations and wormings as recommended by the vet
• Any prescriptions or medications etc. recommended to the vet
• Being able to pay for any follow up visits once the vet determines there's an issue.

One of my main reasons for not getting a second horse when Minx died was because I looked at the books and realized that taking care of 3 bows and 2 colics (and an euthanasia) in 18 months stretched me thin. Very very thin. And if I'm in doubt that I could take care of the medical issues for 2 horses, than I'm not getting another one.

Keeping the above in mind, I've made my decision regarding Farley's occasional NQR funky hind stepping:

• She will get 3 days of bute
• She will have 3 days of rest
• She will have an easy day to see if I feel it again
• If everything feels fine, we will continue with very easy work for 1-2 weeks (I can't justify resting her for this time - because of the facilities, resting is equal to stall rest, which I don't think is necessary).
• After 2 weeks, we will start regular work again.

I will call the vet if:

• Nothing has improved after the 3 days of rest and bute
• If it comes back during the easy 1-2 weeks of work in any degree
• If it comes back after going back to regular work in any degree.

Would I like to take her to the vet right away and soothe my gerbil-like darting mind?

Absolutely.

Is it a good use of my resources?

I'm not sure.

Do I have the resources to take her to the vet if I need to?

Absolutely.

Thank you everyone for commenting. Especially you that are vets, or soon to be vets! I understand where you coming from, I really do. I worked at a clinic for a couple of years and had a lot done during that time period that I wouldn't normally, just because I had access to the clinic resources. However, I'm reluctant to take a horse that isn't lame on the ground, or in the saddle - except for a few funny strides *sometimes* under saddle and do nerve blocks, x-rays, ultrasounds etc. I think when I'm at the vet (I'm going in Feb to check teeth, assuming everything goes well in the next week and she gets over whatever *this* is) I'll ask about chiropractors in my area and see what they think.

It will be nice once I'm a vet and how access to more resources for a situation like this!

Comment Follow up:

OntheBit - how do you see how many people are subscribed in Google reader?

JB - Yep, that site is blocked too!

Fit to ride Part 9: Arena Exercises Riding

Unless someone has another question, this will be my last review on this book. Hopefully the information presented will help you to determine whether you should pick up a copy of this book for yourself!

Three riding exercises are presented as especially beneficial for the conditioning, obedience, suppleling, for the eventing/endurance horse.

Shoulder In
Serpentine
Half Pass.

Shoulder In
I just learned this at my last lesson so I was excited to read what Bromiley said. Unfortunately she says how to technically perform it, but not the whys or even a good description of what a shoulder in is. If purchasing this book, it would be a good idea to have some background knowledge in dressage, or be willing to do further research before trying her classical riding exercises – I would not have been able to perform a shoulder in based on her description. I have found the shoulder in to be an EXCELLENT collection and obedience tool. It can be practiced any where at any gait. I am in LOVE with the shoulder in. In my opinion is in an exercise that should be in every endurance rider’s tool box.

Simply, the shoulder in is a 3 track movement. The horse is traveling forward, with the shoulder slightly in toward the inside flexion of the neck and head. The leg position to cue for the shoulder in is very similar to the canter, with the outside leg slightly back. I’m in the super beginning stages of learning the shoulder in, so if you are trying to learn this for the show ring, go somewhere else! For now, I am told to feel like I am neck reining the horse to the inside, while applying pressure with the inside leg at the girth, or just slightly before the girth, with the outside leg back.

I like using the shoulder in when Farley is a bit feisty on the trail and is giving me a VERY strong trot or canter towards home. I don’t want to keep pulling and pulling and pulling….so I ask for shoulder ins. We are still traveling in a straight line, but it’s a lot of work.

The shoulder in is also useful for collection. Again, I don’t like pulling on Farley. It’s pointless. When I ask her to come over the top of the bit, sometimes she refuses. If I then ask for a shoulder in, it seems to make her softer and supple-er and I get what I want with the minimum of fuss and hissy fits.

Serpentine
Again Bromiley does not provide a comprehensive description of a serpentine, assuming that the reader has prior knowledge

Half Pass
A detailed description of the Half Pass is given, as well as instruction. It is clear that of all the exercises given, Bromiley believes the Half Pass the most useful.

You have to crawl before you walk….
Bromiley stresses that movements should be introduced at the walk, then the trot. This seems obvious, but for some reason, it’s not. Whenever I stop to think about why I’m having problems with Farley, I will go back to the walk, master it, then move to the trot and voila! We have it! But in lessons, often something is introduced at the trot, or even the canter (this is true of my current instructor, as well as a few group lessons I took earlier). I will continue to have problems with the concept until I bring it to a walk and figure it out. Note to self: Need to be strong enough to say “let’s do this at a walk first” in lessons!


Further Recommendations
If purchasing this book without a background in dressage or other formal horsemanship training, it is my recommendation that it is paired with another book that better explains the pole work and riding exercises mentioned. I especially like Cherry Hill’s 101 Exercises series. I have used both the 101 Arena exercises book, and the ground work book that describes lunging and long lines. Both would make and excellent companion to Fit to Ride.

Grrrr...e-mail posting

So I obviously hit send on my last post before spell checking, deleting my signature line, or even finishing my comments!!!!!  And since I can't access my blog I can't edit it!!!!  I WILL figure this out and be sucessful!  Eventually.  Obviously not today.

 

Comment follow up CONTINUED:

 

Heather - I put the settings on my blog to only show a few sentences in Reader so that people would have to click and actually GO to my blog to read the rest of the posts.  I hate it when other people do this :>)  but I totally get why they do it.  By forcing people to come to my physical blog, they will (hopefully) look at my for sale/wanted list and any other annoucements on my side bar. 

Hogwash?

The lesson went well this afternoon.  We worked through half halts - bilateral and inside leg to outside rein - mostly at the walk, then transfering those lessons to the trot.  Not a spactacular lesson to watch, but very demanding for horse and rider. 

 

My trainer and I joked and laughed about my experience at the reining clinic on Saturday - especially my observation that western riders train their 2 and 3 year olds with a bunch of crap attached to them, and then take it off as the horse gets more broke, while English riders start with nothing but a simple bridle, but as the horse matures we put lots of crap on them.....

 

And then....diaster....actually, I haven't decided whether it's a disaster yet.  Going to the left at a trot, Farley took so funny steps with her hind - avoidance - and didn't want to come under herself and through her back.  Eventually I would get her underneath her self and the funny strides would go away.  The trainer pointed out that she thought her stifle was a bit sore.  Oh NO! 

 

This is my current knowledge about stifle injuries:  They are career ending for an endurance horse. 

 

After some discussion I managed to calm my heart rate enough to hear what she was telling me:  that it didn't look like an injury, just soreness.  Her reccomendation was a bit a bute for a couple days to help with inflamation, and asked if I had gotten her "adjusted" (chiropractor...) recently.  My trainer is all about sound horses and taking the time to do things correctly, so I trust her opinion.  Her feeling is that Farley is just experiencing the normal bumps in the road for muscle soreness that you get when you are completely retraining the horse how to move. That is my feeling as well - that this isn't serious and perhaps has to do with the reining clinic on Saturday - and with a little time of easy work and rest it should  go away.  I'm giving it 3 days of bute and 1 week....and if it isn't better we are seeing the vet!  But I think she'll be just fine.  In the roundpen yesterday she wasn't lame or moving funny, it's something subtle I can feel under saddle. 

 

Back to the trainer's "adjustment" comment:  I have seen signs in the barn announcing when the chiropractor will be in, so I know that her barn does use one.   I've always thought it was a bunch of hogwash, but I read blogs and opinions of people that swear by regular chiropractic visits for their horses.  I used to go to a chiropractor as a teenager and I'm still not totally convinced whether it helped or I just grew out of my problems (or more tolerant to the pain!).  My trainer is not pushing me to do chiropractic work, but now I'm intrigued.  Anyone have advice?  Or is time off and rest for the horse just as effective?

 

 

Comment Follow up from previous posts:

 

Funder - Yep, based on your suggestion I'm considering a mobile device.  I like the idea of an iphone (I'm a Mac person), so now I just need to find out if my company's IT department can set it up to recieve company e-mails.  My current phone is a company phone and there is a program will they will pay the "work" portion of a personal phone, so it might work out well - they pay for calls, texts, and e-mails, and pay for the remainder of the services.

 

Heather -

--
Check out my blog - Boots and Saddles!

www.bootsandsaddles4mel.blogspot.com

The "Talk"

Farley had I had the "Talk" last night. 

 

Here's the problem with sweet little obedient horses:  They rarely saw what's on their minds and if they do, the whisper very quietly.  Sometimes I can't hear her and I have to say "Speak up!  What's your problem?" 

 

The last couple of weeks, especially after arena work, I've been stressed and had lots and lots of tension in my body.  This really irritates me for 2 reasons:

• Horses are my de-stressing activity, therefore I should not feel more stress after a ride than before
• I have a sinking feeling that what I'm feeling is merely mirroring Farley, whom I want to make happy, and if she feels like I do, she's not happy. 

Last night I again finished the night feeling irritated and tense.  I looked at Farley and her cute little nostrils were compressed at me.  So I decided we needed to talk.

 

So we went to the round pen.

 

My intention was NOT to punish her in any way or "show her who's boss".  I do extensive ground work with my horses when I first get them, and after that on a as-needed basis.  Farley hasn't been in a round pen for at least 18 months. 

 

I LOVE the round pen because I can take the halter and leadrop/lunge line off and have a little chat.  It's small enough that she can't totally ignore me, but it's big enough she feels free enough to express herelf.  Without a halter or a line attached to her, I feel that Farley is more honest about letting me know if you really wants to be in my presence. 

 

Once in the round pen she waited for my cue and then trotted around.  She didn't try to change direction or stop.  She wasn't exactly soft, but she was listening and watching.  I cued her to canter and she did, I cued her to transition down to a trot and she tried to stop - just like under saddle.  We worked on getting a forward trot after cantering.  She wasn't responding to my turn cues very well, but I pushed her and she re-remembered.  She stopped on command and followed me when I walked up towards her.  She breathed hard for a while, but seemed to relax as we just hung out in the center.  Then I slipped a leadrope and halter and her and we were done.

 

So what did I learn?  I've always known that Farley is not a dominant horse.  She's perfectly happy to be in the bottom of the pecking order and is not aggressive.  However, I think she needed to be reassured that yes, I was still taking care of her and she didn't need to worry about it.   There's a huge disconnect in our arena work and our trail work.  On the trail, I expect her to think and take care of herself, pick her footing, and keep an appropriate pace with my occasional input.  In the arena I am dictating every step we take and asking her to be submissive to my cues.  As a result she was getting frusterating.  What did I want?! 

 

Complicating the issue is that neither one of us is spending as much time on the trail as we would like.  It's winter and it's dark and wet.  I'm a bit grumpy (that whole SADs thing going on) and I don't blame Farley one bit for not being at the top of her game. We are making the best of a seasonal situation and working through it (how many days 'til the time change????)

 

I think our chat in the round pen last night really helped.  She was reassured that yes, I am still the same partner that will take care of her and I won't let her fail (she really cares about being successful) and I was reassured that she DOES want to be with me and she LIKES being with me, she's just struggling because of the season - just like me. 

Fit to Ride Part 8: Arena Exercises Obstacles

Bromiley’s tool box of equine conditioning methods is:

(ordered progressively)
Arena:
Classical exercises – long reins
Classical exercises – ridden
Ground poles – long reins at walk, trot, and canter
Raised poles – long reins at walk, trot, and canter
Small fences – long reins at trot and canter
Ground poles – ridden at walk, trot, canter
Raised poles – ridden at walk, trot , canter
Small fences – ridden at trot and canter
Grids (six or more cavaletti) – loose schooled, trot, canter
Grids – ridden at trot and canter
Changes of pace – transitions up and down
Changes of direction – circles, serpentines

There is also a section that describes the progressively loading for trail work that includes grass slopes, road hills, small fences, etc.

She goes into depth on what we are trying to accomplish with progressive loading and circuit training including endurance, strength, balance, and obedience.

She prefers long line work as opposed to lunging because of the degree of control – specifally being able to control the horses balance. Most of her arena work that is not ridden, she recommends in long lines. This section of the book has the most pictures and drawings, to help the reader visualize what she is saying. It is on this section alone that I am considering purchasing the book. I think this book, along with a Cherry Hill book on ground exercises, would provide a good base of knowledge for ground work.

Poles
Poles are used to control stride length, joint flexibility, coordination and re-establish balance after an injury. She gives the proper intervals (for an average horse) for setting poles according to gait. Handy reference! 1 meter is recommended for a walk, 1.5 m for a trot, and 3.5 m for a canter. Bromiley recommends determining starting points for the poles by measuring the distance between the imprints of the front and hind feet at different gaits.

Poles can be used on the ground and spaced to either shorten or lengthen a stride. You want to place poles so that the foot of the horse lands in the middle of the space between poles. You can gradually add more poles as the horse “gets” it.

Bromiley states that the horse works harder at middle paces than extended paces because the elastic recoil of the tendons and ligaments aids the horse during extended paces. Interesting!

Poles are first placed flat on the ground, then raised on one side (alternating – raise the left side of the pole, the right side of the next pole, etc.).

Cavaletti
Cabeletti are poles raised off the ground by 6-8 inches. They are arranged similarly to the ground poles described above. The biggest benefit to Cavaletti is the ability to ride “grids” which is a “closed chain” activity as described in an early post. I know from personal experience that to ride a grid in balance and rhythm is HARD.

I should also mention here that all Bromiley’s long line work is done in side reins. She stresses that side reins are NOT to be adjusted to set the horse’s head, but should be set to the natural set of the head.

Putting it all together
She stresses variety in the arena – one example of a arena set up with a circuit has ground poles, a little cross bar jump, and a set of ground poles raised on one side only, set up around the arena. Doing the circuit, plus integrating the “Classical” riding exercises is what she recommends for arena work.

Next: Classical riding exercises

A test post

I'm testing my ability to publish posts via e-mail. *waves vigorously* Hi everyone!

--
Check out my blog - Boots and Saddles!

www.bootsandsaddles4mel.blogspot.com

A sad sad day....

As of today, my work has blocked blogger and all associated .blogspot, wordpress, and other paid for blog addresses.

Although this will undoubtedly improve work productivity, it was definitely a blow in the gut when I tried to log on this morning and couldn’t. Updating my blog daily and corresponding with y’all is definitely the highlight of my day!

Never fear! I have a plan (when do I not have a plan?). I will be setting up my e-mail so that I can still post to my blog regularly that way. There may be more scheduled posts, and while I will get your comments through e-mail, I will not be able to respond to them as promptly as I do now.

The biggest change for me is going to be the inability to comment on YOUR blogs. Commenting requires me to access the blog website, which is just not going to happen as frequently. I’ll still be reading daily in Google Reader….I just won’t be able to let you know how much I enjoy reading about your lives.

The other change will be I will not be able to get to the spam comments as quickly to delete. A time may come where I need to have put the comment verification back in place, but for now I’ll see how annoying it becomes.

I love blogging! I love the way that writing regularly makes me feel – when people ask me if I do any writing, I can say with honesty, “a little”. To have an idea and to plan on writing something, and then to force myself to follow through and finish the mini-essay that is a blog post, is creating writing-discipline. Happy blogging everyone, and as always, if you see something wonky or want to ask a specific question, feel free to contact me!

Fit to Ride Part 7: Arena exercises explained

By the request of Endurance Granny, I'm diving in deeper into how to use the arena to prepare the horse!

Bromiley spends several chapters explaining exercise, muscle functions, and considerations when approaching both rider and equine fitness.

What’s interesting is that while Tom Ivers (ti for the rest of this document) stresses specificity in equine preparation, Bromiley stresses variety. The difference may be that Bromiley is preparing an eventing horse and the focus is on a strong healthy athlete that is able to get around a course and stay sound to run another day. The eventing horse is exposed to a wide range of environments and has to stay sound on all of them. ti is training race horses to win and win often because racing is a business. ti is trying to eke out the top 0.5% performance in his horse safely. A race horse also has much narrower environmental considerations that it will be exposed to.

As I skim the chapters leading up to the arena exercise chapter to gain context…..I run across yet another sentence that makes my blood boil. I agree with her first statement “Horses spend hours doing flat work, sweating and miserable. Far too many routines have been designed by people with insufficient knowledge of the requirement associated with physical activity.” But then, as a support to this statement, she resorts to this: “Even those who should know seem to get it wrong: the doctor who started the jogging craze, Mr Fix, in the USDA, gave himself a coronary thrombosis, the very thing he was trying to avoid. The people who survive do things slowly.” OK – so I admit it – I’m a runner. I love running, I couldn’t not imagine my life without it. The only thing that exceeds running in enriching my life is horses. So I’m a bit biased. BUT, again with the statements thrown around like facts! Running does not increase your chance of heart disease. Can you be an avid runner and still die of heart disease? Yes. Can you sit at home and die even earlier of heart disease? Yes. Can you run easy and still decrease you chance of heart disease? Probably. You don’t need to go out and pump 5 miles at top speed to get the benefit of running! I run slowly and get many benefits including stronger bones, better cardio fitness, etc. In my experience many people who start running do too fast and too much, making it absolutely miserable. You can do the same thing by swimming or biking too hard….shall we make blanket statements about the risk to your heart that swimming and biking has? Bottom line – if you want to talk about the heart risk during exercise, don’t single out running, but refer to any aerobic activity that elevates heart rate. The thing that separates swimming and biking from running is impact – and this can be good and bad, but has nothing to do with the heart.

OK – I’m over it. Onward and forward.

And one more thing! Maybe it isn’t running, it’s the type of people who tend to run. I’ll describe myself: Stressed, high achieving, can’t relax, tend to do too much too fast. Maybe this type of person has a lower life span in itself and it has nothing to do with running. Just maybe we can remember the correlation/causation principles…..just maybe?

Ok – I am really am over it now.

Here’s some better definitions of the different work that muscle can experience:

Concentric – Muscles working as they shorten against resistence. Think sit ups in a human. Most normal work in horses is concentric activity.

Eccentric – Muscles working as they lengthen against resistance. In humans – while laying on your back, with your legs straight – hovering above the ground. As you lower the straight legs to the ground, your abdominals and hip flexors are working eccentrically. In horses, down hills require eccentric muscle work.

Isokinetic – “movements that occur at a constant speed. In humans – light weights that are moved repetitively and at a constant speed. In the horse – work at a constant repetitive speed using resistance, such as a incline up or down.
Isometric – Static exercise. Outward visible signs are not noticeable. Bromiley recommends 6 seconds for any Isometric excerise. One she suggests for the rider is to push your back against a chair while sitting down.

Closed Chain – Movements that occur when the body moves over a fixed segment. In the human – a squat. An example of a horse closed chain is working down a long grid with identical spacing between every pole. Bromiley notes “closed chain exercises are probably the most useful for all riders.”

I felt that trying to understand the different types of muscle activity is important to understanding the arena exercise portion of the book. She stresses that any arena exercises should vary the work done on a muscle.

Obviously almost any exercise you can imagine has some, or maybe all, of the types of the exercises described at some point in the activity. I think the point is to be able to evaluate – am I asking the horse to do mostly concentric work? How can I incorporate Eccentric? Am I asking for any closed chain activity? By being aware of the different types of muscle activity, you can evaluate for holes in the exercise program and try to design programs that vary the type of muscle activity asked for day to day or within a circuit.

Next: Describing specific arena exercises.

Bonus Post

For those of you that just absolutely do not have enough to read already.....I have a guest post up over at Food Adventures Etc. (if link doesn't work, it's listed in my sidebar)

My very first cow

Let’s review the advice I got from y’all when I posted yesterday about an upcoming cattle experience.

 

“When the cow charges you, before you dissolve into a fearful pool of jelly, slip your foot out of the stirrup to kick the cow in the face”.

 

“Remember – Arabs aren’t good at this”

 

Thanks everyone.

 

So what I discovered is that I had been thinking of little cows all wrong.  They are not the evil cousins of dairy cows, nor obstacles on the trail, or malicious little beasts waiting to ambush you when you least expect it.  No, they are play things.  Toys.  Hehehehehe. 

 

The morning was spent doing equitation, which is (apparently) part of the whole reined horse experience.  It also served to let the trainer check out the riding level of everyone AND give everyone saddle time without wearing down his cows.  So I gave a big sigh, apologized to Farley (I had promised that today we would do something new and different), and worked on circles.

 

I tried to keep an open mind, while also trying to mitigate any confusion to Farley as she went from being a dressage horse to a little cow pony.  While dressage may value straightness over all else, a cow pony is valued for its ability to follow its nose and not be “babysat” during the pattern.  I muddled through it with a smile on my face and showed the rest of the class that even though I was in an English saddle I am perfectly capable of riding on a loose, draped rein at the canter (or lope or whatever).

 

After lunch I, as a cattle newbie, had to prove my horse and myself with a group of weanling calves before being given my very own cow…..5 or 6 little cute calves were let into the pen to wander around.  Farley got right in there with them and pushed them around.  She was interested and alert, but never spooked.  Mmmmm…..this was going better than I thought.  Shortly I got the call to go out of the pen, signaling I had graduated.

 

I was the first to go.  My half grown cow was let in and off we went.  I pointed Farley at the cow and Farley pinned her ears and locked in.  Off we went at a canter and gallop, round and round. I checked her a few times to keep her in the right position – she bucked, but then seemed to get the idea and I didn’t have to ask her to keep the position again.  She blew through the stop 2-3 times, but some of it was my fault – my weight too far forward – and again, once she figured out that she stopped when the cow stopped, there wasn’t any more problems.

 

Soon it was time to turn the cow, then stop it.  We faced the stopped cow.  I pushed a bit and the cow sprinted for the side.  Farley leaped into a canter to match the cow.  The cow turned and Farley sat down on her butt and spun to match.  We did it again in the other direction.  My mind was in shock – we were actually leaping around and spinning like a “real” cow horse.  My skinny butt arab was giving that cow what for and completely dominating.

 

I got a “fantastic” and “perfect” from the trainer and then it was my turn to watch my partner work a cow.  I was shocked that Farley was as “cowy” as she was but I think the trainer was shocked that through all that darting, cutting, and spinning I had kept my seat and stayed perfectly centered….in an English saddle. 

 

I’m going to get smug here for a sec. I’m allowed to be smug about my seat because goodness knows I’ve had to work like hell to achieve every other little thing about riding!  It’s the only thing that came naturally.  I chalk it up to my extensive teenage bareback riding and the fact I have constantly ridden since then – I haven’t taken a break like so many adults who then have to rediscover their balance and seat on the horse.  It takes a LOT to unseat me off a horse and it hasn’t happened in a very long time, even though I ride a multitude of horses.  Minx was the only one who knew just what spin, pivot, dropped shoulder combo worked. 

 

I was impressed that Farley had been able to work that cow, but here the real test was still coming.  I stood in the middle of the pen, while my partner worked the cow around me.  Farley never even flinched or tried to spin around as the cow ran around and even cut across right next to her.  Perfectly calm and focused.

 

What does it take to make this horse come unglued?  So far I’ve only had one bunny rabbit from hell incident – when I tried to trot past a bike still in motion.  I’ve done sword work, close contact sword melees etc. and she does it like she’s done it her entire life.  I think it’s high time to try pistol fire from the saddle and plunk her in a reenactment battle to see what she’s made of.  She’s a born cavalry horse if I’ve ever seen one.  Obviously any fear or uncertainty of what this horse is capable of is, in my mind, not hers.

 

The trainer at the end of the day said that Farley and I “fit each other to the ‘T’”.  I’m still trying to decide whether it was a compliment or a comment…..After all, for the most part we are both mostly untrained and opinionated which I am sure is not at all a compliment!

 

So does any one have any little toys (calves) for me to play with?  Pretty please?  I would be ever so grateful!

What the...

I am going to a cowhorse reining clinic tomorrow. On Farley. Yep - we are going to learn all sorts of things like "boxing a cow", running something down a fence, sorting something else, and somehow through of all of this accomplishing my real goals:

• Have fun
• Give Farley some cow experience, so when a bull looks at us from the side of the trail during conditioning rides, I don't melt into a shivering pool of fear.

This is really all D*'s fault. While trail riding he spoke of how much "fun" cattle work was, and how it really "matters" because there is a goal that either gets done or doesn't (presumably the cow is how you want it or not). In fact, he made it sound so glorious that I went back and edited by 2010 goals to include cattle work on Farley. Now, the day before, I'm not too sure. Really, what was I thinking?

On the other hand, I condition around cows. While Farley has progressed from snorting and doing her best impression of a bunny rabbit, to merely flicking an ear as cows tumble from the hill side along side the trail, I'm under no firm assurances that things wouldn't suddenly disintegrate if the cows moved TOWARDS us rather than away. Couple that with my naturally fearful nature and an over-active imagination and that spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

Actually, it just spells trouble for whomever is riding with me (most likely a 14 year old cousin). As I've already explained to her, if the sh-t hits the fan, I'm under no obligation and it's every (wo)man for their own! It will be a close thing, but I almost positive I could make it down the trail first through hook or crook, leaving her to distract the bear, cougar, bull, whatever following close behind.

But I digress.

I pointed out to my co-worker, whom I'm going with, that I won't be exactly inconspicuous in my english saddle, bright biothane tack and helmet, even if I'm going with the jeans and cowboy boot look. I attempted to disguise my saddle with a cleverly placed western print pad and nope, it's not going to fool anyone. But then she pointed out that the 2 Fresians she's bringing aren't exactly traditional cow horses.....

So off I go. Poor little Farley. Just this morning we tacked up and went on a lovely 5 mile trot/canter down the canal, complete with shoulder-in practice (my newest tool in the tool box from Wednesday's lesson). Tomorrow morning is going to be an eye-opener. I've NEVER fallen off of Farley... Making a note to make sure I put on my helmet...... Remember that I showed dairy cows for 8 years and LIVED at a dairy in college. Beef cattle are not the evil cousins. Just the smellier ones.

Guest Post: Pacing during rides

Lucy Chaplin Trumbull posted this wonderful e-mail on the yahoo group new 100 milers list. It was in response to the question:

For riders that finish in the middle or toward the back of the middle of the pack, what gait do you use most during a ride? Is it 80% trot and 20% canter or visa versa, or something else.

With her permission, I have reprinted her e-mail in full. I agree wholeheartedly with her approach to pacing and she's comprehensively explained it better than I ever could.

Lucy's response is in regular type, quotations from the original question is in italics, and my snarky interjections are in navy blue:

I'm a classic back-of-the-packer rider (my "spot" is third from last...hey - it takes a lot of careful riding and strategy to get this placing!), so I feel amply qualified to answer this question :)

Many of the courses we have in West Region don't allow for too much fast pacing or continuous trotting - either because of the footing or the hills, so I try to go with the rule "trot where you can, scuttle where you can't". (Amen to this!)

When paying attention, I also employ Becky Hart's suggestion of trotting *wherever* you can, even if it's only for 10' - and make a game of it so it becomes fun. If any of you have ever ridden the first and last parts of NASTR 75 in NV, that's is a classic example -most of the trail is in a river bed, so you really have to pick your way along. (also true at American River ride, Tevis, etc. ) This is my favorite part of the ride, much more fun than some of the wide-open speed-trotting dirt road sections where all I can think about is how much damage my horse is doing, over-stretching his tendons. (Great! Someone else with this paranoia. Farley and I get mentally burned out on rides with long sections of jeep roads. I actually worry about injuries MORE on this type of track than more technical sections)

Whilst I don't tend to canter much at all, I'll occasionally ask for it to switch things up if my horse is getting dull. He'll also canter in short bursts to catch up with faster horses we're riding with (which is practically *every* horse we ride with, since I've worked a little too hard on cultivating the "we can keep this easy trot up all day" gait, resulting in us being quite slow :-) ). When he's getting tired, Roo'll also tend to canter for longer periods to keep up - it's apparently easier for him to canter than to maintain a speedy-work-for-it trot. (For Farley its more effort to canter, so if I ask for canter and don't get it, I know she's getting tired. Most of the time, at a trot, we are passing people. Eventually we end up in a bubble ~10 miles into the ride where we are by ourselves for the rest of the ride and I end up at mid-pack, even if I start 5-10 minutes after everyone else) Since:

a) I rarely condition for cantering, and
b) we're still working on lead changes, and
c) he has an overdeveloped left shoulder, so I know he won't switch his lead on his own,

that kind of behaviour from him is a red flag to me that I probably need to slow things down a bit, or it'll come back and bite me later.

Looking forwards, I've decided that now we've got his easy gait down, our goal for this coming year should be to speed things up a bit. Unfortunately I suffer from permanent paranoia about over-straining my horses' tendons (I've had to rehab three suspensories on two different horses over the years and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy), so "speed" (relatively speaking) is very worrying for me. But Roo is coming up on 1500 competition miles so I can probably assume he has a "base" on him now ;-) (I have a very similar paranoia having 3 bowed tendons on 2 horses in ~12 months. This is now Farley's 3 season I have just now began integrating regular cantering into our conditioning. I'm not sure I will ever ask for long stretches of cantering at a ride. I'm just too cautious. On the other hand, I like to know that if I ever do have to ask for that kind of speed, we have practiced it - like at Oroville when I ended up needing the speed to beat the cut-off.)

My other problem with this goal is my work schedule has changed, allowing only for weekend riding, *and* I'm also trying to keep two horses 50-miles fit. This means that I'm going to have to rely on Rides for conditioning and to switch things up. Not clear how this will workout, but it'll be interesting to see how it develops. (Most of my conditioning occurs on the weekend, but at least where I board I *can* ride during the week, even if it's only in the arena, or a 2.5 mile section of canal. What I've found is that I have to take rides slower and more cautiously than my counterparts with access to trails and the ability to ride them several times a week. )

What are the opinions of wearing splint boots, the kind like the Pro Choice that add support?

Two schools of thought:
Option 1: If you don't need them, don't use them, since they could cause problems unnecessarily. (I agree) Case in point - Roo rarely interferes but rubs horribly, so for him they are a bad idea. I used them as a precautionary measure at the beginning of Tevis but took them off at Lyon Ridge (20 miles?) and found he didn't need them, even going over Cougar Rock.

Option 2:If you can use them without problems, they are free-n-easy insurance against your horse tripping and whacking a splint bone and getting pulled (a friend had this happen and now always uses splint boots). (I'll use front boots as insurance during certain sections of very rocky rides. For example, I would wear them in the 2nd third of Tevis (where the rock incident happened), but probably not the other sections) But I won't put them on "just because". They rub, hold in heat, and are just one more thing to worry about. She does wear short hind boots because of interference problems. I tried a ride without them, and sure enough, she had a couple of marks, so on they went again.)

For me, the only boots I don't mind using are the lil' ankle booties that just fit around the fetlock joint. They are open enough not to trap heat or dirt and don't seem to rub so seldom cause any problems. I use these on my younger horse who tends to whack his rear fetlocks. (I like Griffins boots - the short ones. They are between the little ones that Lucy mentions here, and the big ones that cover the entire cannon)

Like Jody, I hate the ones with the metal loops - they are fiddly to put on so you're less likely to whip 'em off to check for debris. Better to have the ones that just velcro around. (I was told by an endurance vet I very much respect when I realized I needed hind boots, that the velcro only ones are good because it's impossible to get them too tight.)

With regard to support-type boots, I have heard that they offer very little to a horse - if you think how much torque is put on a leg, a lil' bitof neoprene and velcro isn't going to make much difference. (I agree)

I have also heard that it is better for your horse to not use such things (particularly in training) as it can have a counteractive effect by making the area weaker from not being stressed (which of course directly contradicts the above paragraph that says support boots don't actually do anything). (I've also heard that anything that is supportive enough to provide support, will be hot enough that it will damage the tendon over the time period we endurance riders need the boot to perform.)

My take: decide if your horse needs them and if not, go without.

With the red/blue led headlamps flooding the market is it more acceptable to use these in the dark since they do not interfere with horse or rider night vision? seems these are better than cylum sticks.

If you can do it, better to use no headlight - you'd be surprised how much you can see how there and it's less unsettling. (Yes, PLEASE DO NOT RIDE WITH THE LIGHT ON, no matter what the color. This is the #1 thing you can do to annoy your fellow riders. I will always try to get ahead or drop behind, but if you insist on drafting me, I will be asking you to turn off your headlamp, no matter what the color.)

Having a red headlight is handy just for occasional map/trail marker checking.

You can get battery-powered glo-sticks really cheap (WalMart sells them)and I like them on the breast collar because they are cheerful in the dark and allow you to see the footing without bugging you or your horse. (My plan for my next 100 miler is the tape the glow sticks on the breast collar, but not snap them unless I need them).

Melinda back in again: I hope you enjoyed her thoughts as much as I did. I think this is good information, no matter what distance you are riding at, and even though much of this was advice I had heard before, good advice is always worth a re-listen, and another re-listen, and another....

Fit to Ride Part 6: Rider Prep and Conclusion

One of my favorite phrases in the book is on the prep of the rider versus the horse. Because of the physiological differences between humans and horses, their conditioning programs will be very different. It is a "...true art to to prepare both, then bring them together to perform as a team." Beautiful.....

There is an extensive section on rider prep and each body part is specifically examined and the why of each position, and an exercise to improve strength and position....if I owned this book, I would go back to this section as a reference in building my conditioning plan.

Overall this book is a worthwhile read. It would be very difficult to digest this book in one big chunk, even if is small and pretty with glossy pages. :) It reads more like a text book, than a magazine article. Fortunately, the different sections are just repetitive enough that the sections stand on their own, if you decide to the read the book in chunks, or are using it as an occasional reference. Even if you are reading several sections at a time, the repetition adds to the understanding. Tom Iver's books are SO repetitive that even when reading a single section I find myself rolling my eyes a bit - not so in this book.

So, am I going to run out and buy this book tonight? Probably not. But I will keep an eye out and if I see it used, I'll add it to my collection. A worthwhile investment that you will probably refer to over the years.

Fit to Ride Part 5: Speed Training

A bonus post today since part 4 was so short!

Speed training is done ONLY after the long slow distance (LSD) is completed.

Fartleks versus Intervals
Bromiley does describe some interval training (not as in depth as Tom Iver's books), however seems to favor Fartlek workouts. She states that some horses don't do well in interval training because they don't settle between the sets. Farleks are worked slowly over a longer distance, utlizing the "gait of their sport", with short periods of high speed activity. For endurance, this would mean walk/trot, with short periods of canter or gallop. They don't need to be of a uniform speed or distance. According to Bromiley, the Fartleks are easy to incorporate into a conditioning program, while the interval training concepts require a carefully calculated regime to be really effective.

Recovery
Bromiley doesn't offer any hard and fast rules for recovery - just to read your horse and respond. Good advice!

Confessions of a Non-Horsey Person

(guest-posting by blog owner's mother)

I suppose the ratio of horsey people to non-horsey people in my family was about normal. I think my dad was somewhat of a horsey person, but my mom wasn’t. My two sisters were horsey people, but my brother and I weren’t. I definitely wasn’t. I didn’t dream, think, or fantasize about horses. I put them in the category of cows and sheep. Yes, you could ride horses, but didn’t Dad get up on Old Girl the milk cow and ride her one time?

Even though I wasn’t interested in horses, my Barbies were, so I appreciated that my older sister, Sharlene was a horsey person because that meant she had a big collection of plastic horses. Barbie liked Moonrunner the best. He wasn’t rearing or galloping with the wind tearing the ribbons out of his mane, like some of the other scary ones. He was black and mysterious; calm, but with an underlying power carved into his black plastic muscles. Barbie would leap onto his back to go and visit Ken, who was the main focus of the scenario.

Real live horses? Sorry, no.

And then, amongst the sisters’ collections of Black Beauty, Tall and Proud, Afraid to Ride, Billy and Blaze, Misty of Chincoteague, there appeared a stick of dynamite: The Black Stallion. I can’t remember what first made me curious, and then made me want to read it. Knowing my family, they probably were giving it a few consecutive reads, were buried in it, were going on about it, and had those waves of contentment flowing off them that comes when you’ve found a life-long literary character friend.

“Do you think I’d like it? Can I read it?”

Sharlene had always been trying to involve any and all of her siblings and friends into her horsey passion, but had always struck a blank with me. A gleam shone in her eye.

“Hmm, I don’t know. It’s all about a horse.”

“If it’s good, I might like it.”

“I don’t think you should read a book that’s this much about a horse unless you knew more about horses.” She paused. “It’s a really, really good book.”

“What would I have to do?”

Zing! The trout hit the fly! The next thing I knew, we had a schedule set for my horse lessons. We started with the parts of the horse. I learned what withers were. And fetlocks. My favorites were the chestnuts. They weren’t exactly cute, but the name was clever. I learned how to curry comb. We studied and learned the parts of the saddle. The only part I still remember from those lessons were the buttons, these little leather divots with pinked edges and strings hanging out. Maybe they reminded me of chestnuts. I vaguely remember even being on the back of the horse.

Surprisingly, I didn’t mind the lessons all that much. Maybe because they tied in to the prize, reading the wonderful book, The Black Stallion by Walter Farley.




Alec was like you and me. He had freckles and was short. He had a brand new pocket knife that he hoped to use for something besides sharpening pencils and cleaning his fingernails. He was on a boat without his parents, just waiting for an adventure to happen. Everybody wants a special friend. To be your grandfather’s favorite kid, to be the little pal of the big boys, to have the teacher like you best, those give a child reassurance that they matter, that they are important. The Black Stallion was the ultimate special friend. No one else could go near him, or else the flinty hooves or the bared teeth would destroy the foolish presumer. He was very powerful, very beautiful, and unique. But Alec, by his own kind and loving efforts helped create the special bond they shared, which lasted all through the whole book series. Even if I wasn’t a horsey person, I could appreciate the themes of friendship, adventure, competition and fulfilling your dreams.

I’m still not a horsey person. But I think fondly back to that summer of horse lessons and The Black Stallion. I am glad to know more about horses that I would have, left to my own, and I’m grateful to have met Alec Ramsey and gone with him on some truly fantastic adventures.

Fit to Ride Part 4: Muscles

Fit to Ride by Bromiley contains a very technical section about muscles and muscle development, including addressing fatigue in your conditioning program. Even with my background in this, my eyes glazed over. Handy as a reference to refer to if I was trying to diagnose a problem in the future.....

There are different types of exercise that improve muscle:

• Concentric (example: Uphill work)
• Eccentric (example: Downhill work)
• Isokinetic
• Isometric
• Closed Chain

The last 3 types of exercises can be accomplished through correct cavelleti work, as of which some examples are given.

The author stresses that it is impossible to properly prepare a horse in an arena, even dressage horses need variety. However, there are a variety of arena exercises that are good to include in a conditioning program.

Bromiley prefers combined exercise of the "classical" school and use of cavaletti's. Work over cavallettis is done on long reins.

She gives several examples of an arena course designed to give a horse a full workout. Specific dressage exercises and the "why's" are also described.

Next: Interval training and Fartleks

Fit to Ride Part 3 - Skeletal

There was a high emphasis on blood tests to evaluate condition that I must admit I yawned and skimmed my way through....

On to the bones!

First Phase of Conditioning

She mentions "Wolff's Law", which I first heard about in Tom Iver's book. She goes on to say that the skeletal system adapts to the increased load by an initial de-mineralization, followed by a re-mineralization. The mineral loss occurs in the first 60 days of training, remains low for ~ 6 further weeks, and then starts to remineralize gradually to a level considered appropriate for the continuation and increase in training requirements. (A specific study supporting this conclusion is cited within the text).

• This was very very interesting. I knew that the bones adapted and got stronger over time, but I didn't realize that the bone first got weaker. No wonder the first 3 months of slow and steady work is so critical to any real training!

During these first few months of conditioning a variety of surfaces need to be incorporated in the training....going round and round in a arena doesn't count.

• This gave me the confirmation that I had felt in my gut....I can't give Farley credit for the arena mileage we do. It is time in the saddle, useful training, and cross-conditioning - but it does not contribute to the trail miles needed to keep her in trail condition. I will continue to keep the time spent in the arena separate from the trail mileage in my evaluation of her program.

As the bones begin to remineralize, it's important to evaluate mineral supplementation so that no "borrowing" of minerals from other biological structures occurs.

Second Phase of conditioning

After 12 weeks of activities on a variety of surfaces, introduce controlled concussive forces, roadwork, and various muscle activities (such as work over undulating terrain).

After both these conditioning phases are done, then the cardio system can start to be conditioned.

Bromiley also mentions that an exposure to a wide variety of terrains and conditions for short periods of time is much better than excessively conditioning on one particular type of terrain during the skeletal remodeling phase.

Next: The muscles

Fit to Ride Part 2 - Judgements

When I read a book, I usually look for key subjects that will let me guess whether the author and I share the same stance on key issues.

My three horse "philosophies" that I feel most strongly about are:

• Young horses should be turned out as much as possible and with other horses to facilitate proper development before training.
• Keeping horses barefoot is best, if it works to the horses benefit (considering confirmation, any existing problems, training level etc.)
• View on diet supplements - I believe in minimal supplementation and training "from the field" if at all possible.

Bromiley shares my philosophies so I felt confident in reading the book and considering her opinions.....

Now I have to share a pet peeve of mine.......claims without substantiation or minimal/limited research. I think this is even more true of claims which contradict long held beliefs or traditions. In that instance, the evidence should be even more overwhelming in order for me to go against what has long been held as true.

I do not necessarily expect it on a blog, however in a book as technical as this one, I expect statements that contradict or are not widely held, to be backed up by cited References. This book does not have a reference section.

Bromiley makes several assumptions in the diet section of Fit to Ride that I would like to see references on.

• One anecdotal story is provided, as well as the generalization that New Zealand horses excel in eventing (as compared to other countries) because of the practice of training and competing "from the field".
• She claims that a horse is unlikely to be offered a selenium deficient diet because crops don't grow as successfully in a selenium deficient area (the assumption being that those crops won't make it into the feed supply?)
• Food produced by intensive chemical cultivation is less balanced than that from "natural sources". Her only justification for this statement is "This is demonstrated by the current trend towards organic production."

Warning: Major Digression

I will admit that I am more likely to be picky in the discussion of diets (both human and animal) than any other management subject. I've been accused of becoming defensive of the current food industry because of my current career, but the truth is, I am frustrated by the amount of unsubstantiated claims related to nutrition and the apparent lack of critical thinking skills people chose to exercise on the subject. I feel that less is known about nutrition than almost any other biological science, and as the subject and research progresses we will look back and laugh on our current archaic understanding. In the meantime, can we all agree that nutrition is a (for the most part) inexact science right now and not make wild, unsubstantiated claims? Please differentiate between science that is statistically valid because it is of an appropriate sample size, from that information which may be breakthrough-exciting, but needs further research to prove it's validity. It's perfectly fine to discuss and make conjunctures, but let's restrain ourselves from putting it in the same category of those facts that have proved consistent through many years of research.....

End of Digression

However, for the most part Bromiley "rings true", even if (in my opinion) the book would be improved by references and avoiding statements like:

"Nothing beats an expert's eye" in reference to weighing a horse....

• WHAT!!!!!! Ummmm....I'm sorry but all my life I've been told that nothing beats using a body score conditioning, and a scale. I think it would have been much more appropriate to say "Nothing beats a hands on evaluation by an expert, combined with a body condition score and access to a scale".

Next: On to the good parts! What I learned on equine conditioning

Fear

Sorry - I seem to be doing this a lot lately. Yet another link for my wonderful readers to check out.

Most of the stories mugwumps posts on Monday are fantastic, but this one in particular was so wonderful I had to share.

I am a fearful, cautious person. Some day I will post on fear and what it has done to my life, and what I have done to try and over come it. I may recruit a few family members or friends that I know have a good "fear" story as guest bloggers. My aunt and I talked about fear after she fell off during our weekend ride. My cousin and I have discussed our innate fear of dogs. How to deal with it, our tricks and stategies, the mind games.

Fit to Ride Part 1 - First Look

Jaime lent me, and requested that I review one of her favorite training books, Fit to Ride by Mary Bromiley.

My hope is to some day produce a website of equestrian book reviews. In the meantime, all the reviews can be found in my sidebar, along with what reviews are in progress. If you would like to lend me a book or recommend a book for me to review, please contact me!

Upon first glance, I expected the glossy paged Fit to Ride to be an elementary guide to conditioning horses, suited for those who are no longer beginners to horses, but may be beginners to getting a horse really fit for a sport such as eventing. I was wrong wrong wrong! If you chose to add this book to your library, expect to refer to it many times and in small chunks. The information is very in depth and it is suitable to read the book in sections or chapters, rather than straight through if your time is limited.

This book provides a historical context for equine fitness, the physicological/anatomical basis for the fitness, and the intricacies of the human/equine interface. She cautions again transposing fitness plans for man to horse and expecting them all to work. What works for a marathoner won't necessarily translate to the long distance equine athlete due to vast differences in their physical anatomy and physiology. Bromiley focuses on the development of horse and rider as a long-term learning curve with no quick fixes.

Although the book is extremely focused on conditioning the equine Bromiley touches on philosophy in horse keeping and management, as well as explaining the why's behind her recommendations. One phrase that jumped off the page during my first skimming was "...Equus, has no need to learn,...homo sapiens, cannot survive without learning."

This is the book for the equestrian who must know the why behind every facet of their horses conditioning program. For example, when discussing rider position, she supplies photos of the skeletal human pelvis in different positions so that the reader can better visualize what is happening.

Next: Judging a book

A New Year, New Boot Failure, and New Toys

Lest anyone get the wrong impression of why I post about the boot failures, I want to explain: When I started using the Renegades, I had a very difficult time finding any negative reviews. I decided that I would post about every single boot failure I had, so that others could make an informed decision.

Considering that I am a new barefoot person with no prior boot experience, there have been shockingly few failures. I am in LOVE with these boots. Most of the time I don't post anything at all about them, because they have integrated with my riding seamlessly.

At this point I have ~250-300 miles in renegades, of which 105 miles are endurance rides.

I had 3 boot failures in the first 100 miles of use:

• The utterly fantastic leaping-into-the-cut-bank-and-trying-to-kill-me failure. (Really, it isn't fair to call this a boot failure.....with her antics I would have lost a shoe and I've never lost a shoe on this mare).
• At the Oroville Endurance ride in the first 5 miles.
• Randomly on a training ride.

I haven't had one come off since. In all incidents, the toe portion came off, with the boot staying with the horse via the pastern strap. The toe strap was always intact and except for the first spectacular failure, there didn't seem to be a reason for the failures. After speaking with others who have had similar experiences, I've concluded that the boots seem to have a breaking in period, after which the incident of failures is less.

A boot loss has finally happened!

While riding with Family this weekend, my aunt commented that one of the hind boots had twisted. I dismounted and found that the entire lower portion of the boot was gone, with just the captivator present. Farley hadn't even reacted......My guess is that the cable broke, trotting uphill in muddy conditions. This was a used pair of boots and an older model that I use as my spares and for conditioning rides. She finished in the other 3 just fine. I did take the other hind off, but put it back on, because I'm apprehensive about the old injury on her right hind, and want to protect it during these wet conditions when the hoof is more malleable.



Having this happen doesn't shake my confidence in renegade boots at all. They were an older boot and and older model. There have been improvements and changes. Now I have a spare size 0 captivator! We know exactly where Farley lost the bottom portion, so if my aunt sees it on the trail, she's going to pick it up for me.




I had a wonderful time, riding in the New Year. I alternated using the boots and keep her bare on different days. She doesn't need the boots while conditioning, but I don't like the idea of not using them in conditioning at all, and then expecting her to perform in them during a ride, since the weight and the physics of the hoof are slightly different in the boot (just a personal opinion here, nothing to back this up except a gut feeling!).





New Toy Thoughts

The bridle worked wonderfully. I have this model here, in all black, bridle only, no halter. I snap it on to my rope halter. I have 3 bits/hackamores I like to use on the trail: A french link baucher, a myler kimberwick, and a sliester mechanical hackamore. I added clips at the bottom of the bridle to easily change between my options. It worked great for the bits, but the clips are big enough for the hackamore. The beta/biothane is so easy to work with, I'm thinking about eliminating the clips because they are heavy and can't be used with the hackamore, but I'm still exploring my options.

The biothane is a bit heavier than the leather, but soft with no roughness (my leather bridle wasn't very good quality). The bridle is easy to snap on and off, even with gloves, so I'm very happy. The little throat latch buckles drove me NUTS! It would be very easy to add a biothane loop with a clip around the throatlatch if I didn't want to use a halter for some reason.

My parents got me a very comfortable reflective running vest, that I used all weekend riding. I felt so safe knowing that I was visible, both if I fell off and someone needed to find me, and for hunters.

I rode with a hackamore my last day at my aunts. This isn't a new piece of equipment, but one I haven't used very often. I rode with it 3 times last year. The last time I used it, I was with 2 other people and she made me nervous with how she tossed her head through it and resisted my cues. Now, after learning to work off my seat better (thank you dressage!) and a better understanding of pressure on her face (thank you dressage - her first instinct is now to yield, rather than push) she was very well behaved and responsive in it, even with other horses and trotting.

My aunt and I decided to forgo the Bar S ride, in favor of a training ride together in her area (same place I rode last weekend, and where the pics in the post were taken). Neither one of us was truly excited by going to the ride and we both decided we would prefer to do a long training ride over several days and do some visiting, without the stress of the long drive.

Temporary amusement

If you would like some amusement while I'm in the process of constructing my post from the weekend, check out my Mom's post. I'm probably in 4th or 5th grade, cutting up a chicken.

Meltdown Part 4

Lesson 2: No more "working her through it"

On our first ride back all I was doing was pushing buttons to see what worked after 2 weeks and what didn't. When I got to the canter, I got greedy.

Since we are here we may as well work it right? WRONG.

A little flexion and a little inside leg. She got rushy and tense, I asked more firmly, she responded by getting more tense. I finally got what I wanted, but it wasn't worth the price. She was just was a bit tense and rushy for the rest of the session.

It's very easy to push Farley for too much too soon. She's so willing and she's so athletic. Once I ask, I feel like then I'm "in it" until the end result is achieved.

Don't get me wrong - I think it's very important that once you are in the middle of a lesson you have to get to a point where you both win. The horse can't resist and you respond by throwing up your hands and going "oh well!". Not going to work.

But, what I can do is carefully chose when I push her.

• Don't do it too often.
• Don't do it too long.
• Achieve only very baby steps in those areas where I know she was resistance issues (like cantering).
• Use lots of positive reinforcement.
• Do special short, focused sessions on the problem areas, don't mix it with her regular work for now.
• If during a regular training session I want to incorporate something where we have an issue (such as a canter), take what she offers and don't "mess" with it too much. There will be time for that later when we are both fresh and I can focus on those baby steps in our special sessions

I think what this will do is keep each session from turning into a battle that leaves both of us stressed and tense. We WILL have to work through the issues, but I think we can do that BETTER if I set aside time for doing so and leaving it alone the rest of the time. That way both of us can enjoy the majority of our sessions together.

Hopefully following both of these "lessons learned" I will be able to reduce the frequency and severity of the meltdowns and we both have fun on a regular basis. After all - that is what this relationship is based on - mutual respect and the joy of just getting out there and riding!

Meltdown part 3

Lesson 1: Time Off
Obviously I can't give her 2 weeks off after every session. That would be pointless. There is a balance between the benefits of regular work and vacation time.

My horse is not in a pasture, she's in a smallish dry paddock. I try not to let her sit in her pen for more than 2 days. Even if we just get out for a hand walk, or a jog.

Except after major events, such a 100 mile race, I don't actually schedule extended time off for Farley. It seems that ~3 months, a major events arises in my life where I have to ignore my precious pony for 2-3 weeks. This is her vacation time, and I rarely feel guilty about it because I know she needs the time off.

Invariably we are both better off after some time away from each other once in a while.

I also think that regular work is very beneficial for her mentally and physically. She likes to get out. I like to ride. Her feet and body like to get movement every day. Since she isn't in a pasture, I feel she needs the daily movement of either a ride or a handwalk.

This most recent period of time off was especially eye opening. She's always been "better" after time off, but it was hard to quantify because I didn't do dressage, only trail, and I wasn't asking much of her mentally. I've always felt that rest was the most important element in an endurance horse's schedule to prevent injury and physical breakdown, and to a lesser extent to prevent mental burnout. I was amazed at the quality of work she was able to do after 2 weeks off. I'm now a firm believer in extended time off for the horse mentally, as much so or more so as the physical aspect.

So what's the plan?

• Regular work ~5-6x a week. Some days are "active rest" days.
• Make sure that every 9-12 weeks she gets 2-3 weeks off. If something doesn't happen like a race or a work/personal crisis, then schedule it.
• I think a ratio of 4 weeks of work to 1 week of vacation time seems to be Farley's magic number. I'll watch her closely and give her a week sooner than every 9-12 weeks if she needs it.
• AareneX suggested that she's the type of horse that will actually think through things on her vacation. Since Minx was the type of horse that went to square one after significant time off, it's a bit counter-intuitive to me that a horse could improve her "mental" training after time off. Horses are certainly individuals!